Re: [fibernet] S or Z Ply
She is WRONG! It makes no difference - in addition to being wrong she is also RUDE. Some believe that linen is better spun this way because of the way the plant fibers grow, but with animal fibers it makes NO difference. I would say her respect is not earned. Brucie On Mar 18, 2010, at 5:28 PM, brookfarmalpacas wrote: I have a delimma! A very well known and respected National (maybe International) spinner and teacher saw some of my mini-mill spun alpaca yarn and told me it was Spun up wrong. The yarn was spun with an S Twist and Plyed Z Twist. Right in front of my customer who was showing off her beautiful Pie Shawl out of my alpaca yarn, she said that the knitting did not look as nice as it could have because it was processed wrong. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: [fibernet] S or Z Ply
And the linen thing is also highly overrated! I did a History of the Drawloom lecture at CW seminars in Tampa - while doing research found a listing of over 50 pieces from 16th century and later damasks - ALL of them had Z-spun linen, warp and weft! Surely some other areas of the world used S -spun, but as far as Ii can tell, the S-twist linen thing is also not anywhere near as rule - again M abel Ross says the same thing. Sara von Tresckow, Fond du Lac, WI sa...@powercom.net http://www.woolgatherers.com Dutch Master Loom/Spinning Chairs/Öxabäck Looms, vendors at Wisconsin Spin In
Re: [fibernet] S or Z Ply
If a person states a premise but does not back it up with evidence, I am more inclined to think the statement is hogwash. As a scientist, I like to see data and draw my own conclusions, not blindly swallow forcefully stated proclamations. Also, a true teacher lives to educate others, not to berate or humiliate. This sounds like a self-appointed member of the spinning police. June [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: [fibernet] S or Z Ply
My newer books refer to Z spun S plied yarns as being normal which is an indication of frequency, not correctness. Mable Ross in her Encyclopedia of Handspinning, under Z-Twist on p. 214 states Commercial woollen-spun yarn, traditionally S-spun, is still sometimes so spun. I also checked my references to mill spinning and there is nothing about a MUST on spinning and plying other than that to avoid odd twist, plying is done in the opposite direction of the single yarns. There is also ample literature about using one twist direction for warp and the other for weft as it affects the way the intersections in a piece of woven cloth interact and changes the appearance of the fabric. I've never heard this theory. Actually you may have something unusual - there is a type of knitting that due to twisting the threads NEEDS Z-plied yarn. Called Tvåändsstickning (Swedish twined or two ended knitting) it is a knitting technique that demands the Z-ply because S-plied would untwist using this technique - had a lady here in town looking for some and I had to send her to Walstedt's Swedish wool factory as it is the only commercial source. You just might have something special there. As far as I can tell from 50+ years of knitting and 30+ of spinning, I've never heard that the initial spinning direction made any significant difference in the finished stocking stitch knit fabric. I'd certainly discount that person in your shop in terms of respect and consideration of her teaching. There are other sources. Sara von Tresckow, Fond du Lac, WI sa...@powercom.net http://www.woolgatherers.com Dutch Master Loom/Spinning Chairs/Öxabäck Looms, vendors at Wisconsin Spin In
